Plans go in for new Shifnal medical centre as town's population grows
Plans for a new medical practice have been submitted to a council.
The proposal, to build a replacement medical practice in Shifnal, will now be considered by Shropshire Council's planning officers.
The plan for the new practice, at Haughton Road, was first revealed in 2019.
Agents acting on behalf of Aequitas Shifnal have now submitted the application and say the new centre is required to cope with the increase in the population of Shifnal – which is being driven by house building planned for the town.
The statement says that the number of patients needing to use the surgery is expected to increase by 5,000 to 7,000 in the next ten years.
The centre, which would be two storeys tall, is planned for land to the north of Haughton Road.
A number of sites have previously been investigated for a practice to replace the current Shrewsbury Road centre.
They included a site of Halesfield Road, one on Aston Street, and as part of the Thomas Beddoes Court development off Wolverhampton Road.
Details in the application outline plans for the centre to be as close to self-sufficient as possible in terms of electricity use.
A statement submitted with the application said: "The building is an all electric design with photo-voltaic cells covering the entire South Facing roof to Haughton Road. The intention is to provide as close as possible a building that will provide all of its own power requirement and when available will feed electric back into The National Grid."
Under the plans for the development there will be 50 parking spaces available for use by patients, including four accessible spaces, as well as eight additional clinical staff spaces.
Earlier this year health officials said they hoped work could begin on the facility this year.
Speaking in February David Evans, who was joint accountable officer for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CCGs, but has since left the role, said: “A new GP-led developer company has been set up, and architects, a legal team and contractors have been approached to move the project forwards.
“The practice, in conjunction with the CCGs and NHS England, is now finalising the detail for the new Shifnal Health Centre.
“It is hoped we will be able to confirm the commencement of building work towards the end of 2021.”
A decision on the application will be made by Shropshire Council at a later date.
